Secondary RE Lesson Offer
Faith in Schools brings Christians into Newham’s primary & secondary schools to deliver high-quality RE lessons on Christianity and takes pupils into the community to see how Christians put their faith into action.
Pupils are able to meet a variety of Christians from different backgrounds and church denominations and find out what it means to be a Christian in Newham today.
Unit: Church and Community
Church visit (Lesson 1)
We can help arrange visits to local churches. Pupils will have the opportunity to explore the building, its artefacts and symbols. We also offer an option to visit two different kinds of churches to enable pupils to make comparisons.
The significance of Church and community (Lesson 2)
We can provide a follow up lesson in which pupils consider the importance of church buildings as places where Christian practices and symbols are located. We support students to explore the role of Church in the lives of Christians.
Alternatively we can offer a visitor lesson where we can bring in church leaders to talk to pupils about the significance of church.
Unit: Festivals and Belief
Easter
We explore the symbols that represent Easter and their meanings. Pupils will also learn about the events during Holy Week and consider the significance of the Easter story for Christians. Exploring the concepts of salvation, redemption and resurrection.
Christmas
We look at why Christians celebrate Christmas and explore the theological themes of advent and incarnation. Pupils are then given an opportunity to think through issues in their community that they would like to see change. They go on to consider how could the Christian message of love and hope influence these issues? We then support students to analyse and evaluate their own views and others on the purpose of celebrating festivals?*
Unit: Radical Jesus
Jesus – prophet, madman or savior?
Pupils are given the opportunity to explore what Christians and some other religions believe about Jesus. We can provide some visitors from different denominations that students can question and discuss.
Unit: Does religion help people to be good?
(A set of four lessons including a visit to a local project)
Christian views; from Sacred texts, on poverty (Lesson 1)
Pupils are given the chance to explore passages from the Bible through games. They are then given the opportunity to explore their own thoughts and statistics surrounding poverty. This is followed up by case studies looking at Christian responses to the Sacred texts. Homework provided
What does the Bible say about poverty and how does this affect how Christians live their lives? (Lesson 2)
We look at different organisations and individuals and their response to poverty. Pupils compare at least 5 examples, judging if they are good illustrations or not.
We look at the impact this can have on law making and society. Pupils are then given the opportunity to be speculative of a Christian response to poverty based on a sacred text. Homework provided
Visit to a local charity, organisation or project (Lesson 3)
We arrange 40-minute visits to local projects set up or run by Christian visitors. Visitors will share some different ways they put their faith into action in our local community. Homework provided
How could we put our beliefs into action in Newham? (Lesson 4)
Pupils attend a “pretend” community meeting where they take on the role of different local residents and have to debate what happens to a local fund raised to tackle poverty. Pupils will then write a letter to fictional churches; drawing on their research and learning, telling them how they feel the money should be spent to help alleviate poverty or its effects in the community.
Unit: What difference does belief make?
What Christian concepts have stood the test of time?
We explore the concepts of atonement and Messiah and look at the role religion and what difference it can make in people’s lives. Students will consider questions such as: Why do Christians see Jesus as Messiah? What different ways do Christians explain Jesus’ atonement? How might Christians respond in their own lives to these concepts?
Unit: Suffering
How do Christians make sense of suffering?
A lesson exploring different Christian responses to suffering in the world. We can bring in a number of Christian visitors from different churches that the students can question and discuss beliefs with.
Unit: Worship Practices
We look at different Christian Sacrments i.e Baptism, Commuion, Worship etc. and consider ways in which these are practiced in different denominations of Christianity. We also look in the bible for evidence to support arguments for and against the differing views.
Unit: Is death the end? Does it matter?
What do Christians believe about life after death?
Together with Christian volunteers; we lead a lesson in which pupils develop an understanding of Christian perspectives on life after death. They will explore the ideas of salvation and forgiveness and think through how Christians’ beliefs about life after death impact on their daily lives
Unit: Crime and punishment
What does the Bible say about crime and punishment and how does that affect the lives and choices of Christians today?
We lead a session that examines different Christian responses to crime, its prevention and punishment. Students will have the opportunity to then ask question of volunteers involved with crime and punishment projects.
Justice Conference
What does Justice mean to Christians living in 21st Century? How do they understand God a both just and loving? We explore the biblical understanding of justice and how that can be applied to Christian experience today in relation to a range of social challenges. Supported by an opportunity to ask questions of local Christian leaders from different denominations.
Question Panel
We can arrange a panel of Christian visitors with a variety of views on ethical issues to help students develop their biblical interpretation and inference skills and provide primary evidence for exams.
